The Vegetarian was the winner of the
2016 Man Booker International prize, although it was published several years
earlier in South Korea. It’s a slim volume, which is always a good thing in my
opinion, and is exactly as long as it needs to be.
The story is
hard to explain: essentially the novel is split into three parts, each presenting
a different take on the developing mental illness of Yeong-hye, a South Korean
woman, which expresses itself through her sudden decision to stop eating meat
and her conviction that she is turning into a tree. In part one we see things
from the point of view of Yeong-hye’s husband, a controlling man who is
embarrassed and enraged by his wife’s behaviour; in part two the focus is her
brother-in-law, who has formed an artistic and sexual obsession with Yeong-hye;
and in part three we get a more compassionate take from Yeong-hye’s sister. All
three parts combine into an engaging tale about longing, secrets, obsession,
guilt, love, sex… and pretty much everything. I could probably name a hundred
other novels that are twice as long but say half as much.
A quick
glance at online reviews reveals that The
Vegetarian has had a mixed reception, and I can completely understand why
the book might not be to everyone’s taste, but I loved it so much that I plan
on re-reading it very soon.
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